Bommer Canyon
Bommer Canyon | |
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Location | Irvine, California |
Coordinates | 33°37′47″N 117°48′27″W / 33.629646°N 117.807566°W |
Area | 16,000 acres (6,500 ha) |
Established | 1981–1982 |
Governing body | City of Irvine and Irvine Ranch Conservancy |
web |
Bommer Canyon is an
History
19th century
In 1837,
Cattle operations
Between the late 1800s to the 1970s, the "Bommer Canyon Cattle Camp" served as the center of the Irvine Company's cattle operations.[6][8] James Irvine remarked in 1867 that he and his men "rode about [the Irvine Ranch] a good deal, sometimes coming home in the evening after a thirty- or forty-mile ride pretty thoroughly tired out, but we had to do it in order to see much of the ranch and the flock." At the time, his Irvine Company had been purchasing further adjoining parcels of land, "[s]o there [was] considerable riding to be done, if one [was] to see much of [the ranch]."[8] By the late 1970s, the Irvine Company had ceased its cattle business altogether.[8]
Designation as natural landmark
With the Irvine Company's cattle operations finished, the Irvine Company sold the Bommer Canyon area to the City of Irvine between 1981 and 1982.[6] The City of Irvine purchased the land with grants obtained from the 1974 California Bond Act.[6] In 1996, roughly 50,000 acres (20,000 ha) of preserved land on Irvine Ranch, including Bommer Canyon, were designated as a National Natural Landmark—the first such landmark for California since 1987.[4] Collectively the preserved lands are known as the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks.
On April 22, 2008, Gov.
On April 15, 2011, the city of Irvine officially opened the Bommer Canyon trailhead at the corner of Bommer Canyon and Shady Canyon roads.[10] The trailhead opening included an official ribbon-cutting ceremony with the mayor of Irvine, Sukhee Kang, and city council members, followed by an Earth Day hike through the preserve.[10]
Access
Many trails in Bommer Canyon are open daily for self-guided hikes or bike-riding from approximately dawn to dusk.[3] However, some trails and areas within the canyon can only be accessed through guided programs and require pre-registration with the city or Irvine Ranch Conservancy.[3] The city of Irvine plans "Monthly Wilderness Access Days" to allow hikers and bikers access to these other networks of trails.[3]
The City of Irvine currently permits area residents to rent the former cattle operations part of the canyon for campouts and other special events.[6][11]
Features and resources
References
- ^ "History of the California Natural Landmarks Program" (PDF). California Department of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
- ^ a b c d Tony Barboza (April 23, 2008). "Orange County Land Designated As First California Natural Landmark". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e "Bommer Canyon". The Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. Irvine Ranch Conservancy. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
- ^ a b c Cathy Tran (April 23, 2008). "40,000 acres of old Irvine Ranch gain state landmark status". The Orange County Register. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
- ^ Jeff Collins (March 12, 2006). "Shady Canyon: Villas of the Valley". The Orange County Register. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Bommer Canyon". Open Space & Nature Programs. City of Irvine. Archived from the original on May 11, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
- ^ "Bommer Canyon to Coastal Peak Park (Irvine)". Nobody Hikes in L.A. October 14, 2011. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 0-9709085-0-4.
- ^ "Effects of Designation as a California Natural Landmark". California Natural Landmarks. California Department of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
- ^ a b Theresa Cisneros (April 15, 2011). "Trail opening, business seminar, more coming to Irvine". The Orange County Register. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
- ^ "Bommer Canyon". Parks, Areas and Facilities: Camps. City of Irvine. Archived from the original on May 11, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2012.